The Grand Finale
by Severen
Summary: The Dragonborn gets more than she bargained for in her final confrontation with Cicero. One-shot.


"And now, we come to the end of our play. The Grand Finale!" Said Cicero as she walked through the wooden door. She stood at the door way for a moment examining the scene. He lay on the floor at the back of the room in front of a small fire. He was huddled right next to it as if he were cold. There was blood everywhere and he seemed to be choking on it. He was close to death, that much she could tell.

Mia the Dragonborn walked towards him, anger welling up inside. She removed her shrouded cowl and Blade's sword and set them down near the door, instead pulling out an orcish dagger as she made her way to him. This clown had almost killed two members of her family and she intended to make him pay for it.

He wheezed and coughed as he began to speak up again," You caught me! I surrender," he laughed weakly as The Dragonborn stood in front of him silently, squeezing the handle of her dagger, Cicero took notice of her silence and spoke again. " Oh, you prefer to listen, eh? Of course, of course! The Listener listens! A joke! A funny joke! I get it " He said while laughing. He looked her dead in the eyes," Then listen to this- don't kill me. Let poor Cicero live!" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. After everything, nearly killing Veezara, Arnbjorn, and Astrid, he was really going to ask to be spared?

Cicero continued to speak," I attacked the strumpet Astrid, I did! And I'd do it again! Anything for our mother!" Mia merely stood there taking it all in, not showing how puzzled she was about this as he went on," Return to the pretender, tell her I'm dead! Tell her you strangled me with my own intestines!" He let out another laugh," But lie! Yes; lie! Lie, and let me live!" He finished a hint of desperation.

She merely stood there for a moment and regarded him while she thought. He really believed he had done nothing wrong. Astrid had made a few bad comments about the Night Mother and Cicero figured the most logical course of action was to kill her. True, Astrid should have remained respectful towards The Night Mother, but this wasn't the right reaction to it. If She had taken offense to it, surely She would have said something to the Mia wouldn't she? Regardless, anyone who would try to kill Astrid or anyone else in her family couldn't stay around. And that's what she saw the Brotherhood as: her family.

She got down on one knee to his side and prepared her dagger and suddenly, Cicero's demeanor changed," Do what you will. Cicero has no fight left. In the end, Sithis will judge us both."

"Cicero" she said finally,"I can't leave here with you still breathing," she raised her dagger," rest in peace you son of a bitch." She brought it down with a vicious intent to kill, only to be stopped by Cicero's hand. He smiled, his eyes suddenly full of life.

Mia barely had time to react or even show surprisedwhen with his other hand he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a headbutt that disoriented and knocked her back. She sat up bringing her gloved hand to her nose and seeing blood on it. Her vision was cloudy from the pain, she saw Cicero stand up with blurry vision.

He let out a hearty laugh," Behold the final trick of the Fool of Hearts!" He said as he kicked her in the stomach. She held it in pain and tried to regain her breath as he continued," You think me near death? Think again!" He said with his arms spread out like a victor.

He picked her up by her hair to a standing position and gave her a punch that sent her towards a desk. She used it for support for a moment while she regained her senses. She breathed in and out slowly so as to regain her composure. Once she did she realized she didn't even have her dagger. She didn't even have time to curse before she realized Cicero was charging toward her direction with intent to kill. She moved out of the way at the last second as he brought his own dagger down on the desk. He started to turn towards her just as she punched him in the face, then she rolled toward her orcish dagger and picked it up, turning towards him, ready to fight.

"Ooh! Cheap shot!" yelled Cicero as he pulled his knife out of the desk. He faced her and lunged with his weapon.

She stepped to the side dodging the attack and retaliating with her own downward slash. But he moved too quickly and sliced at her sideways first, cutting her just next to the ribs. The pain burnt and she put her hand on it instinctively, seeing just how bad he had cut her. It was deep, her blood covered glove told her that much. He stepped back a bit, admiring his handiwork, letting out a chuckle. She looked at him back, with nothing but rage in her eyes. She raised her knife in front her again, ready.

They circled each other, The Dragonborn, very slow and deliberate. Cicero, jumpy and with glee in his eyes. He swung at her once, she dodged it. She retaliated, he dodged it as well. They went on like this for a little while, trying to get a feel for the other's movements. Finally impatient, they charged at each other, grabbing the other person's arm with the knife and they pushed with all their strength towards one another. They careened side to side for a moment until finally, she kneed him in the stomach and then in the face, cutting his lower lip. As he fell over she jumped on top of him and tried to push the dagger into his chest. She looked him dead in the eye as she tried with all her might to kill him, ignoring the pain in her side. Then he smiled punched her wound, which allowed him to roll over and get on top of her. He grabbed her by the throat and tried to stab her. She held his arm back as best as she could, but the cut and loss of blood had weakened her and the dagger came closer and closer. She tried desperately to think of something the closer it got, the smaller her chances of surviving became. And just as the tip started to touch her she got a very desperate idea. She pulled the arm to her right shoulder and let the blade sink in a bit, she let out a scream and then moved up and bit Cicero's hand hard. His eyes opened wide with surprise and pain, he let out a scream but didn't stop pushing down. She bit as hard as she could and pulled back, removing fabric from his glove and skin from his hand. He sat up straddling her and let go and brought his hand to his face to inspect the damage. She spat it at him and pulled the knife from her shoulder and stabbed him in the stomach.

He doubled over in pain and she pushed him off her, pulling the knife out in the process. She coughed a little bit and stood back up slowly trying to regain her composure. She spat again as she still had a little of Cicero's blood in her mouth. She turned around expecting to see him on the floor only to be surprised yet again and seeing him standing up. He was holding his stomach where she had stabbed him and breathing heavy. She held his dagger up ready to fight again. He motioned at her," No, Listener. That's it. Cicero is done. Let's just-" and then with what must have been an adrenaline rush he charged at her, ignoring his stab wound and football tackled her against the wall. They remained standing as she hit the wall, she dropped the dagger as he raised him self up and began to choke her. She grabbed his wrists and pulled them away from her neck ignoring the pain in her shoulder and then she headbutt him. He stumbled back a little and she rested against the wall for a split second. Then she grabbed him by the shoulder and punched him in the face knocking him back further. Then she hit him again. And again, and again, and again. Until finally he fell down then she leaned back against the wall and tried to catch her breath.

He grabbed her Orcish dagger and began to stand up again. Once he did, he turned in her direction. His face heavily bruised, but still you could see a smile. " I'm going to kill you, Listener," he said," Cicero. Is going, to kill you!" And he began to stumble towards her.

She let out a sigh and replied," No, you're not." He turned his head side ways stood there confused. Then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let it out. She opened her eyes and looked at him fiercely," FUS RO DAH!" The shout hit Cicero like a train and sent him into the wall on the other side of the room with bone breaking Unrelenting Force. Mia could see that he was somehow still alive. Sighing, just tired of this whole affair, she gingerly bent over to pick up his ebony dagger and finish him off.

He lay with his back against the wall, blood coming out of his mouth. He coughed and choked, unable to move as The Dragonborn made her way towards him. She got down on one knee next to him and put her hand on his shoulder, ready to finish it. He looked up at her, still coughing and choking on his blood,"You...may keep..." He coughed a bit more," Cicero's...blade, Listener." She merely nodded, surprised at the gesture and not sure what else to say. In this state, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for him. She grabbed his shoulder hard and plunged the dagger all the way into his chest. He gasped in pain and then felt some relief as she pulled the blade out and death came for him, "Coming...mother..." And then he was dead.

Mia cast a healing spell on herself and then picked up her things and left the Dawnstar Sanctuary. Not knowing that sometime later, she would kill another one of her family for a betrayal.

**A/N: I decided not to really describe the Dragonborn's appearance so people could just imagine her however they want. Breton, Nord, Altmer, Dunmer, hell even Orc. Whatever you want! Hope you liked the story, be sure to leave a review. Thanks for reading!**


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